뱀파이어 검사 – Vampire Prosecutor

Cast (from dwiki):
Yun Jung Hoon as Min Tae Yeon
Lee Young Ah as Yoo Jung In
Lee Won Jong as Hwang Soon Bum
Kim Joo Young as Choi Dong Man
Kim Ye Jin (김예진) as Soo Hee
Jang Hyun Sung as Jang Chul Oh
Park Jae Hoon as bartender
Kim Eung Soo as Yoo Won Kook

Genre:
Thriller, Mystery, Supernatural

Plot:
Min Tae Yeon is a cool-headed prosecutor who leads a small team of specialists to solve various murders. There is the fiery Yoo Jung In who constantly butt heads with the gangster-like Hwang Soon Bum. To fill out the team is also the capable yet meek Choi Dong Man. There is a slight catch. Min Tae Yeon is actually a vampire who can see the last moments of a victim by tasting the victim’s blood.

One by one the team solves each case successfully, but Min Tae Yeon cannot let go the death of his younger sister. As they solve different crimes, Min Tae Yeon also slowly steps closer to finding his sister’s killer. Each team member has their secrets, how will they all play out in the end. Will the others ever find out that Min Tae Yeon is a vampire? Will the team be able to solve the mystery behind a string of serial murders suspected to be done by a single killer? Will Min Tae Yeon ever find out the his sister’s murderer?

Review:
Vampire Prosecutor did not represent a genre that I was overly interested in. It’s thrilling nature and crime show likeness are not my usual cup of tea, however, one episode of the drama was able to suck me in for the long haul. The mystery, the action, and the character development intertwined nicely to create flow and movement in the entire drama. I never once felt bored while following the series.

The chemistry between Min Tae Yeon’s team was flawless and the overall acting of each element in the drama was superb. Props to the director for creating such feeling in his/her cinematography. The music kept me on the edge of my seat and seemed to pump adrenaline through me every time it came on. The script constantly kept me guessing as to what would happen next and the no end of twists kept me pining for the next episode. The use of effects was not overdone but when they were used they really added to the overall effect of the drama and strengthened important crime scenes and flashbacks.

Really the only drawback I found in this drama was that it ended much too early. The last few episodes seemed to be rushed. I don’t want to create any spoilers here but I found that there was too much information given in the last two episodes that may have been better done over four. Though most of our questions are answered, it seemed as if the film spilled out like tea all over the table after trying to pour too much into just one cup. Before I had time to grasp all the new developments and twists the drama ended. Hopefully they will find some way to create a second season.

Some of you may be interested in any possible romantic aspects of the drama. I admit they were numbered, but not without a certain sweetness. I enjoyed the small actions between Min Tae Yeon and Jung In and saw a very realistic approach to their character development. In fact, throughout the drama we learn a lot about all the main characters as they solve cases but we only get the back stories of Tae Yeon and Jung In. I think if they want to maintain a second season they will need to delve deeper into the past of the rest of the team. One character I definitely would like to learn more about would be the doctor performing autopsys on the victims bodies.

Rating:
4.7/5.0

无懈可击之高手如林 (Wu Xie Ke Ji Zhi Gao Shou Ru Lin) – Unbeatable

Cast:
Hu Ge as Xu Ran
Tang Yan as Tang Qi Qi
Roy Qiu as Wei Xiao
Dong Xuan as Feng Lu Fei
Van Fan as Jiang Dong
Qi Wei as Ye Rou
Chang Chih as Cui Da Bing
Yumiko Cheng as Xiong Jia Jie
Liu Hui as Mr. Tang
Li Tao as Jian Dan
Gao Lei as Zhao Ning
Xu Zhen Xi as Zhang Da Yu

Genre:
Drama, Romance

Plot:
Eight years ago Xu Ran watched as his girlfriend died in his arms, his company’s ideas exploited and stolen by a mysterious organization existing only in the shadows. Eight years later Xu Ran is once again at the peak of his career. His mind is as sharp as ever and his ability to think ahead and get things done has made him very successful at his new company. Just at this moment the shadowy organization once again intervenes in his life and threatens to take away all that he has regained. Alongside him in his fight against the mystery organization is Wei Xiao, a seemingly cold-hearted and aloof policeman.

Still unable to forget his ex-girlfriend, Xu Ran meets Tang Qi Qi, a plain and simple girl with no dream and no plans for the future. Her kind and naive personality get her in trouble at her work place and also with random strangers. One of those strangers is Xu Ran, whom Qi Qi finds passed out on the side of a stone path. Thus begins their relationship, which is tested by the appearance of Feng Lu Fei, the daughter of the head of an enormous business empire.

A battle of wits and risks emerges as the different people around Xu Ran try to bring him down, the mysterious organization and also his once good friend Jiang Dong. Will Xu Ran fall in love with the normal and caring Tang Qi Qi or the ambitious princess Lu Fei? Will Xu Ran be pushed off his throne once again and reduced to nothing once again? Who is this mysterious organization and what are their plans?

Review:
I would like to say right off the bat that I enjoyed this drama a lot, but I still found certain elements lacking. The acting was great by most of the cast and the music was great but I felt that the story took a turn for the worse halfway through. The drama started out on a strong footing and got my interest quickly, but I didn’t really like how the story progressed. That is not to say that I did not like this drama. There were some really great parts and there were a lot of different themes covered through the interactions between the characters and also their struggles to get along with each other.

Almost every character in the drama undergoes a huge transformation. Sometimes it is not noticeable but if you think back to the previous episodes you will realize that nearly every major character changed in someway. The story covers great insight into class struggles between the rich and poor, the dreams of the working class, and also importance of making choices and accepting the consequences.

Let me talk a little about the different players in this drama. First off Xu Ran, played by Hu Ge, was a very dynamic character. I did not pay too much attention to him, but it was easy to see that he had to fill a variety of roles, which he accomplished. He is the protagonist of the show and supposedly very intelligent and charismatic, though imperfect in other aspects such as when interacting with others. Tang Qi Qi was the character who worked out for me the least in my mind. I felt her character was a bit unbelievable and many times the things she did or thought seemed a bit too carved out simply to drive the story of the drama. Ye Rou and Wei Xiao were by far some of the best performances in the drama. Roy was able to capture the unique personality of Wei Xiao and Qi Wei also captured Ye Rou perfectly. I felt the two really played the roles that were given to them and had great chemistry as well. The character of Cui Da Bing had the most humorous role of them all. He did a wonderful job as the oppressive superior. The character of Jiang Dong really seemed to grab the essence of the perfect nemesis. Many times I’d try to read into his character and just when I seemed to think he had finally changed for the better I find that he once again slides into his role as the antagonist very well. Quick props to Li Tao and Yumiko for also playing great support roles and helping to set the mood for the whole drama. Li Tao as the secretary Jian Dan really portrayed some of the darkness of human nature, however in the end we find that it is the environment in which they live in that causes them to act as they do.

In conclusion I must say I really did like how the drama started out. There is an abundance of character development and a lot of great scenes, but I felt that the drama lacked a lot in the development between Tang Qi Qi and Xu Ran. The majority of their scenes were probably just misunderstandings or tense feelings. There were not enough moments between the two of them to really let me feel their connection. There is excessive use of alcohol but then again lots of movies and dramas have that. I definitely found the side stories much more engrossing than the overall direction of the drama. About halfway through the primary drive of the story kind of loses its footing and we become lost for a bit. Then all of a sudden the organization comes rumbling in again for the finish line. I think some parts of the drama lost track of proper drive and got caught up in many mini stories.

I recommend that you do check out at least the first third of the drama, and if that leaves you curious as to the ending then by all means finish the drama. If the first few episodes don’t interest you then the last few probably will make you hate the drama.

Rating:
3.9/5.0

アスコーマーチ! – Asuko March!

Cast:
Takei Emi as Yoshino Nao
Matsuzaka Tori as Yokoyama Aruto
Kaku Kento as Tamaki Makoto
Nagayama Kento as Takeuchi Kazuya
Minami Keisuke as Wajima Go
Ishida Takuya as Hirose Satomi
Furukawa Yuki (古川雄輝) as Kishi Tetsuro
Kanai Yuta as Murai Hajime
Arai Yusuke (新井裕介) as Hirakawa Koji
Nishi Yosuke as Watanabe Shinichiro

Genre:
School, Romance, Drama

Plot:
In Japan, most students take a set of entrance exams in order to apply for High School. Yoshino Nao accidentally shifts the answers on her answer sheet and ends up failing the entrance exam. One of the few schools willing to accept her is almost completely all male students. Yoshino begins her studies at the school and finds everything so unbearable.

“Asuko” is a technical school where students learn a practical trade, in this case metal work and construction. Yoshino finds the work difficult and dangerous but she begins to see underneath the seemingly “messed up” school. Her dream had always been to attend a normal high school, to date freely, to prepare for college exams, and to also have normal girl friends.

In a gripping story of love, camaraderie, and perseverance, not only does Yoshino change but so do the students around her in her homeroom class. When challenges arise in the lives of her classmates, she begins to understand more of the world at “Asuko.” Will Yoshino try to run away from this horrendous school or will she find new meaning in her life?

Review:
I was absolutely enthralled with this drama. It has been quite a long time since I have seen any Japanese drama that could catch my interest like “Asuko March!” did. The story was gripping. It had all the essential elements of a drama: humor, character development, a wide range of emotions, and also a great cast. As I got more into the drama I thought back to the drama Great Teacher Onizuka and felt that there were a few similarities.

The heroine Takei Emi brought out a wonderful performance as high schooler Yoshino Nao. She clearly creates a personality for herself and as the drama progresses we can see the dynamic changes to her character. She matures along her journey to discover her own place at Asuko and also along her journey in learning about her classmates. Her pure-hearted nature causes her to be the victim of bullying but also allows her to gain the trust and love of her classmates. I do admit that Takei Emi has one of the greatest smiles I have ever seen. It is very natural and clearly defines her emotions in particular scenes. We can tell when she is happy, forcibly having a smile, or even when she is embarrassed in front of the boy she loves.

All of the supporting cast were great. They helped to create the mood and pace of the whole drama and really pulled off a stunning performance. The main leads and classmates of Yoshino had really great chemistry with each other and also with the other supporting cast.

I am not a fan of comedy dramas, and at first I thought that this drama would head more in that direction, but boy was I wrong. There was a wide range of feeling to this drama. Scenes made me smile, brought tears to my eyes, or even a quick laugh. I felt sincerity from the drama and I felt that for the most part there was nothing too exaggerated or “cute” as we see in many Japanese dramas.

I highly recommend everyone to give this drama a chance. I learned a lot from watching the interaction between characters and I felt that the messages in this drama were very important in society. I believe that part of the purpose for this drama was to show the more accurate portrayal of the lives of students attending technical high schools.

Rating:
5.0/5.0